Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2009

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The finest wine ever made by proprietors Daniel and Florence Cathiard, the 2009 Smith-Haut-Lafitte exhibits an opaque blue/purple color in addition to a glorious nose of acacia flowers, licorice, charcoal, blueberries, black raspberries, lead pencil shavings and incense. This massive, extraordinarily rich, unctuously textured wine may be the most concentrated effort produced to date, although the 2000, 2005 and 2010 are nearly as prodigious. A gorgeous expression of Pessac-Leognan with sweet tannin, emerging charm and delicacy, and considerable power, depth, richness and authority, it should age effortlessly for 30-40+ years. Bravo!"

JEB DUNNUCK: "I think the greatest Smith Haut Lafitte to date (possibly matched by the 2018), the 2009 Château Smith Haut Lafitte tastes like it did on release, offering a smorgasbord of Graves magic in its smoked blackcurrants, chocolate, cold fireplace, truffle, unsmoked tobacco, and Asian spices. While this is a big, rich, incredibly concentrated Graves, it nevertheless maintains a beautiful level of nuance and elegance, with silky tannins, a seamless, multi-dimensional texture, and a heavenly finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. As with all truly great wines, it delivers an incredible amount of pleasure, both hedonistic and intellectual, all while staying weightless, graceful, and elegant. Hats off to the Cathiard family and winemaker Fabien Teitgen for this legendary Graves!"

WEINWISSER: "Dieser Wein kam doppelt dekantiert (ca. 1 Stunde) an einem lauen Sommerabend ins Glas – und zwar im wunderbaren Hotel Kronenschösschen in Eltville-Hattenheim, dessen Weinkarte mit zu den besten und am fairsten bepreisten Karten in ganz Deutschland und darüber hinaus zählt. Nirgendwo im Rhein-Main-Gebiet kann man so viel bezahlbare Schätze finden. Dieser 100-Punkte-Wein war seinerzeit noch mit knapp 120€ auf der von Sommelier Florian Richter klug bestückten Karte. Dichtes, enorm weit gestaffeltes und finessenreiches Bouquet mit dunklen Beeren, intensiv floralen Noten und verführerischen Gewürz- und Rauchnoten, eine ganz zarte rosinige Note schwingt mit. Im zweiten Ansatz Schlehensaft, Salbei und feine ätherischen Noten. Im Mund umfassbar elegant und von aussergewöhnlicher Balance und Eleganz, sehr geschliffen mit Potpourri an roten Beeren und mit nahezu perfekter, ultrageschmeidiger Gerbstoffstruktur, sehr lang und beeindruckendes Rückaroma. Sicher erst ganz am Anfang seines Trinkplateaus."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Now, with just a few minutes of air you find truffle, smoke, fennel, black cherry, smoke and cocoa, dark chocolate notes. Full bodied, concentrated, the tannins are soft, the texture is round, the fruits are sweet, but there is oak needing to be better integrated into the wine. Give it another 5-8 years in the cellar, and if the oak fully integrates, this is going to be a great wine!"

JAMES SUCKLING: "Aromas of flowers, dried citrus fruit and blueberries follow through to a full body, with firm and silky tannins and a long, long finish. Gorgeous fruit and structure. Polished and powerful. Best red ever from Smith. Best in 2018."

WINE SPECTATOR: "This is really loaded, with crushed plum, blueberry, cassis, fig and blackberry paste flavors all melded together, along with notes of tar, pastis and violet. Very long and dark, but polished and pure, with terrific fruit offset by a great tug of earth on the finish. Should cruise easily in the cellar. Best from 2015 through 2035. 10,000 cases made."

FALSTAFF: "Süße, attraktive Beerenfrucht, Feigen und Nougat, feine Orangenzesten, vielschichtig. Kraftvoll, rund, süße Frucht, etwas Powidl, mit festen Tanninen ausgestattet, schokoladige Textur, feines Säurespiel, anhaltend und facettenreich, sehr gutes Reifepotenzial."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Full in the mouth, this is a rich wine with its yellow fruit and buried acidity. It is laden with wood and ripe fruit, and is dense and cushioned. A nutmeg flavor shows through slowly to add to the exotic, opulent aftertaste."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Deep crimson with so much fruit and interest. Masses of intriguing detail here in a wine that may be very slightly sweeter than perfection for some palates."